Worcester investigating 27 cops state says fast-forwarded mandatory online training

WORCESTER — Worcester police Wednesday confirmed opening internal investigations into 27 officers alleged to be among dozens statewide to use technology to shirk online training requirements. 

Interim Police Chief Paul Saucier told the Telegram & Gazette that he ordered the internal probes immediately after the state informed him of the issue last week.

“Whatever the appropriate discipline is determined to be, it’s going to be administered,” said Saucier, who offered to speak on the phone on the issue following a reporter’s inquiry. 

The Municipal Police Training Committee, a state agency that administers training to police, informed chiefs in a letter last week that it had learned some officers were bypassing online in-service training by “using technologies that override controls meant to prevent fast-forwarding through the training.”

In some instances, the agency said, online trainings that should take hours to complete were finished “in a matter of minutes,” prompting it to take a closer look. 

The agency said it was “in the process” of notifying departments with members who bypassed training, and would require those officers to complete all their training this year in person. 

“Any officer that has failed to complete any required training in its entirety will be required to attend in-person training and their names will be forwarded to POST for failure to successfully complete in-service training,” the letter reads.

MPTC did not say in its letter, and has not stated publicly, how many officers at how many agencies have so far been identified as shirking the training requirements. 

WBZ-TV on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources, reported that 70 officers from 11 agencies have been identified. A spokesperson for MPTC Thursday declined to confirm or dispute the number. 

Saucier on Thursday said he does not know how many other officers statewide have thus far been accused of wrongdoing. 

Asked whether the number of Worcester officers concerned him, he said that even one officer would be concerning to him. 

Asked what technology could have been used, Saucier and department spokesman Lt. Sean Murtha said it is their understanding this was not an instance of officers using third-party software. 

Murtha said it was his understanding that some officers used an internet browser, Safari, that, unlike the recommended browsers officers were asked to use, allowed people to fast-forward training videos to avoid watching them in their entirety. 

The MPTC has not said specifically which types of in-service training sessions were fast-forwarded. In a statement, it said it is “conducting a comprehensive review of our online training platform Acadis, to address this matter, enhance platform security, and prevent similar occurrences. 

“MPTC has suspended online training while the matter is reviewed and addressed,” the statement reads.